DEIK: THE POLARIS OF THE TURKISH BUSINESS WORLD

DEİK, which shapes Türkiye’s foreign economic relations, has been enhancing the global competitiveness of Turkish business for 40 years through its business diplomacy activities, strategic projects, crisis management, and support for women’s leadership

The Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) has been one of Türkiye’s bridges to the international business world since 1985. We heard from DEIK President Nail Olpak about the value the organization has added to the Turkish business world through its 40 years of experience, strategic vision, and leadership approach.

DEİK HAS PLAYED A PIONEERING ROLE IN TÜRKİYE’S FOREIGN ECONOMIC RELATIONS FOR 40 YEARS. IF YOU WERE TO EVALUATE THIS LONG JOURNEY, WHAT DO YOU THINK HAVE BEEN DEİK’S MOST IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR BUSINESS WORLD?

Founded in 1985, the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) began its journey as one of Türkiye’s bridges to the international business world. To understand this journey, we must first recall the state of global trade and Türkiye’s position within the economic landscape of that era. DEIK was founded in a world where we could not export a billion dollars a month, and where daily exports did not even reach today’s levels. With the support of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB) at the time, the institution began to operate with a “unique” character within its own structure. TOBB, as the founding organization of DEIK, signed the first agreement and provided institutional “big brother support”; thanks to economic and secretarial support, DEIK found a strong foundation behind it while charting its own course from the outset.

At that time, DEIK was operating with a limited number of members and restricted resources. By 2014, the number of members had reached approximately 500. However, between 1985 and 2014, DEIK played a significant role in establishing critical links between the government and the business community. In particular, despite some structural problems affecting the majority of business organizations in Türkiye, DEIK continued its activities and focused on developing Türkiye’s foreign economic relations.

In 2014, changes in the relationship between the business world and the state in Türkiye led DEIK to review its own structure. During this period, DEIK’s relationship with the Ministry of Trade and the balance of representation with other business organizations gained importance.

When we took office in 2017, our priority was to strengthen DEIK’s institutional infrastructure, improve communication with members and stakeholders, and ensure its financial sustainability. We made fundamental changes to the structure and management of our Business Councils, in particular. We ensured that elections were held by establishing a transparent and merit-based system, with each business council becoming an independent membership. This system was implemented not only to increase our membership numbers but also to improve their quality. Members’ participation in the Business Councils was supported by reference and record evaluations. Thus, DEIK managed to increase its membership from 800 to 4,000 while also improving its quality.

As part of our efforts to strengthen our corporate infrastructure, we established departments such as economic research, human resources, and resource development, and strengthened our communication structure. We increased our number of professional employees from 57 at that time to over 100 today, and established a structure that provides services in eight foreign languages. These developments have also increased DEIK’s representation and effectiveness abroad. Today, DEIK has become a global network, spreading across the world with 153 business councils.

In summary, DEIK’s 40-year history tells the story of Türkiye establishing its economic ties with the world while strengthening its institutional infrastructure and evolving into a transparent and sustainable structure. At the point we have reached today, DEIK brings together both its past experience and its vision for the future.

CAN YOU GIVE EXAMPLES OF STRATEGIC PROJECTS THAT DEİK HAS SPECIFICALLY CARRIED OUT TO INCREASE THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE TURKISH BUSINESS WORLD IN THE GLOBAL ARENA?

DEIK’s mission, as clearly stated in the regulations, is to coordinate the foreign economic relations of the Turkish business world. In doing so, it carries out important work in collaboration with other institutions and associations in every sector. DEIK’s activities cover a wide range, from daily meetings to annual events, and more than 2,000 business diplomacy events are held each year. Most of these events are so extensive that even I cannot attend all of them.

However, when we focus on your question, the areas where DEIK stands out and distinguishes itself are certain “niche” projects. For example, while our trade relations with the US were on the agenda, during the Trump administration, the presidents of both countries planned to increase the trade target from $75 billion to $100 billion. At that time, our total trade was $20 billion, and we were selling 40% of that trade and buying 60%. Based on this situation, we took responsibility as DEIK through our first business council, the Turkish-American Business Council.

In this context, a detailed study was prepared in a language that our counterparts could understand, in collaboration with experts possessing intellectual infrastructure in Türkiye, and it was delivered directly to the US Presidency. As a result, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce at the time came to Türkiye, stayed for five days, met with everyone, and examined the work on site. Today, our trade in goods with the U.S. has reached approximately $35 billion, and when services are added, it reaches $45 billion, and we have a balanced structure in trade in goods.

It is precisely these kinds of extraordinary projects that set DEIK apart from other institutions and truly make a difference. Of course, routine roundtable meetings and official discussions are also conducted; however, DEIK’s vision and impact are demonstrated through these niche and strategic initiatives.

WE KNOW THAT DEİK MAKES QUICK DECISIONS AND IMPLEMENTS TIMELY MEASURES DURING CRISES SUCH AS PANDEMICS AND EARTHQUAKES. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE DEİK’S LEADERSHIP AND DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES DURING TIMES OF CRISIS?

Being cautious in processes is certainly necessary, but if caution completely prevents you from taking risks and acting quickly, then you are not doing business. Personally, I am a cautious person, but I have never thought, “I take no risks.” In some situations, you need to act immediately, because when everyone does the same thing, it becomes ordinary.

For example, during the pandemic, when we didn’t know what to do, DEIK was the first institution to quickly launch online meetings in Türkiye and abroad. At that time, we had around 150 business councils, and activities had to continue under pandemic conditions. Processes were progressing differently in China, Korea, and India; we immediately organized this and demonstrated our differences.

Similarly, swift action was needed during the earthquake. After the earthquake, in Elbistan, with the full support of our members, we set up a settlement with a thousand containers to meet people’s needs. It wasn’t enough to just send containers; infrastructure, television, refrigerators, internet, and basic living supplies were all provided without exception. People lived there for two and a half years; we organized their living conditions in a safe and humane manner.

Similarly, we adopted the same approach when purchasing our headquarters. There was a need, we identified it, and we took decisive action. Being cautious is important, but leadership sometimes requires quick action and initiative. When necessary, going to the field and observing the situation firsthand is a critical step in making the right decisions.

HOW DOES DEİK SUPPORT WOMEN MEMBERS IN THEIR PROFESSIONAL LIVES AND LEADERSHIP ROLES IN CIVIL SOCIETY?

The women’s platform and other criteria are of great importance to us. We need to act with consideration for women’s place in the workplace and in management. The number of women and men in management is also determined by election. Currently, we have approximately 15 female chairs in our 153 works councils.

Approximately half of our employees are women, and there is significant female representation among our members. However, we do not make our choices based solely on ratios; we evaluate the most suitable person for each vacant position based on their competence and capacity. This is a fair and effective approach within DEIK’s own framework.

We also give the business councils complete freedom in terms of budget and roadmap. For example, the Italy or Malaysia Business Councils collect their own dues and decide for themselves how to spend that budget on activities. When we enable this, members take ownership and feel like the “owners” of their own work. If we had a system where everything was managed solely from DEIK’s common fund, we couldn’t bring together Türkiye’s most effective businesspeople.

Our members are satisfied both financially and emotionally because they take responsibility for themselves. They set their activity plans at the beginning of the year, their performance is scored during the year, and report cards are distributed at the end of the year. This system ensures balanced and sustainable participation; we allow them to manage their time and resources effectively without forcing anyone to become a member.

AT THE POINT DEİK HAS REACHED TODAY, THE IMPACT OF YOUR PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE AND LEADERSHIP ON ITS SUSTAINABLE GROWTH AND INSTITUTIONALIZATION IS QUITE EVIDENT. HOW DO YOU ASSESS THIS PROCESS IN TERMS OF YOUR OWN PHILOSOPHY AND MANAGEMENT STYLE?

I am an analytical thinker by nature. I have been this way since childhood; in middle school, I sat down with my grandfather and mapped out my family tree. While doing this, I wrote those from my father’s side in blue, those from my mother’s side in black, and those who had passed away in red. Even back then, paying attention to details and seeing the system was important to me. I apply this approach to every area of my life, including my personal life. For example, I am someone who enjoys and practices planning everything in advance, such as tracking my late mother and father’s medications in Excel spreadsheets while they were living in Burdur, noting how long each medication would last and when to replenish it.

A similar approach applies at DEIK. When you take on a role or occupy a position, your intelligence and understanding do not change instantly; however, this position provides you with networking, access, and influence opportunities. You need to use this correctly. You don’t have to know everything; you have to work with the right people and know how to delegate tasks. However, it is always your responsibility to control and follow up on the results of the tasks you delegate.

We proceed with the same understanding at DEIK. We assign tasks to the right people, follow up on the results, and intervene when necessary. My personal philosophy and attention to detail have become one of the cornerstones of the process in terms of corporate growth and sustainability.